Broadway Grand Rapids debuted the Tony Award–winning musical Kimberly Akimbo this week, bringing a heartfelt and unexpectedly hilarious story to the DeVos Performance Hall stage.
At its core, Kimberly Akimbo follows a teenager living with a rare genetic condition as she navigates a new town, new relationships, and the universal search for where she belongs. The premise alone makes it one of Broadway’s most distinctive recent hits — but there’s another element audiences aren’t expecting.
Ice skating.
Yes, actual skating appears on stage.
The musical opens at an ice-skating rink called Skater Planet, where characters sing about escaping life’s chaos on the ice. It becomes a central gathering place in the story — a spot for friendship, celebration, and transformation. By the end of Act One, the entire cast returns to Skater Planet for the song “This Time,” gliding and spinning together in a moment that has left audiences buzzing.
So how do they do it?
According to the cast, the performers wear real ice skates — but the “ice” itself is a specialized synthetic surface known as Polyglide, sometimes called Glice. The stage is treated with water and glycerin to create the illusion of real ice, allowing the cast to safely skate, slide, and move fluidly under stage lights while singing live.
It’s a theatrical feat that feels both intimate and jaw-dropping, adding another layer of magic to an already unforgettable show.
